The Colombian Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the matter of the agricultural strike, called for calm and for dialogue. “(…) That they protest, they dialogue and they reach peaceful agreements,” explained a statement from the office.

The agrarian strike takes a week since it started and so far has left roads blocked, 4 killed and an unknown number of wounded, besides the suspension of trade and transit with Ecuador.

On his behalf, President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, said yesterday that “there is” no current agrarian strike in the country and that the situation was “under control”. However, the president did denounce the killing of a policeman during a demonstration.

Juan Manuel Santos

The president said the protests called by farmers, truckers and leaders from other sectors have been compromised “so that there is no possibility to reach any agreement, thus carrying on with the violence.” “And what they want is to generate a sense of fear in the country,” he said.

Santos would only say that there are other people who are taking advantage of the situation to cause terrible damage, and that “the state will be absolutely and totally overwhelming against these violent people.”